which one uses the least elec.

[Txjaybird]

I am wondering what portable DVD player uses the least amount of electricity?    Also needs to be cheap and run on regular house current in the USA.  Also wondering about a TV that could be used as a computer monitor as well.  Maybe if i'm lucky I'll get to live off grid and on wheels before I kick the bucket....if not i'm gonna haunt somebody........you've all been warned    :angel:    TJB & Killer aka Queenie

 

[BradKW]

I suspect the DVD answer is "the one with the fewest lights"... I can't see the actual mechanics of spinning a disk varying much. And odds are if you pick 10 brands, you'll find all the components are really made by the same company.

Your TV question is backwards...ask instead "What PC monitors would also make a good TV?" When phrased like that, the answer is simple... all of them. But not all TVs make a decent monitor, especially for text.

 

[highdesertranger]

good questions. most of the 12v TV's that I have looked at can be used as a computer monitor. the computer savvy will let you know what to look for. it says such and such input. also a few had built in DVD players. they also make 12v DVD players and I know at least Jensen includes one in their heavy duty stereos. not sure about the power consumption. you would need to look that up. highdesertranger

 

[Fivealive]

Look for a portable DVD player with a battery. A lot of the ones with small built in screens also have outputs to connect to bigger TVs. Another option is a car stereo with DVD and video outputs. Third option is to use a laptop with a DVD drive. Look for one with an HDMI output for easy use with a TV.

 

[jimindenver]

We have a little 9 inch rechargeable, portable DVD player that will run off of 12v, 120v or it's own battery. I'll have to look at what it is rated at but it isn't much. We also have a 15 inch Toshiba flat screen with a DVD player in it. It runs off of 120v or a converted 12v cord. It's rated at 65w and runs down a 35 Ah gel cell much faster.

Last thing we use is a portable DVD drive on our netbooks or tablets. You might be able to plug a portable drive into a smart TV.

 

[Txjaybird]

Hey ya'll...I just remembered that my "new" $8.00 HP laptop { Ilove my thrift store}  has a thingy in the side that a disk will fit into....could this be a DVD player?  I'm asking ya'll because my genius son is probably asleep and I don't want to wake the whole house to phone him.  I really did pay $8 for the laptop, he's done a lot to it,  inc. ubunto  whatever the  **&%  that is!  Sunday I'll get it and he will work on this one.  His $20 HP laptodp needs a hard drive...that's in the budget for next month........ new shoes this month.
     Have a good week end.         TJB and Queenie

 

[VJG1977]

Let me start with the TV used as a monitor. Last year I looked into getting a 24" monitor to use with my laptop.  Comparing prices I found that you could get a 1080p Full HD 24" LED TV for close to the price of a 24" monitor.  I picked up this one Vizio E24-C1 24-Inches 1080p Smart LED TV .  
Power Consumption: 25.7W 
Standby Power: <1W
As well as the RF Antenna Input it has both VGA plus Stereo Audio and HDMI Inputs. 
With a TV instead of a monitor you get to watch over the air TV with only an antenna and using a VGA or HDMI cable you have that 24" screen.

Most any recent Laptop will play a DVD with the built in DVD/CDRW Optical Drive.  Check your laptop for these features:
VGA output, most likely.

With this you need a VGA cable with audio(plugs into the headphone jack.)

HDMI output, usually only on newer laptops.

just need a HDMI cable.

Every TV I looked at last year had at least one HDMI input and they all had a VGA input but there may be some out there without.



The easiest test for you optical drive is to insert a DVD and see what pops up.  Most likely Windows Media Player but some laptops have a player provided by the manufacture as well. In that case you can set which one will open by default.

 

[mockturtle]

I watch DVD movies on my laptop. My old one. [My new Mac doesn't have an optical drive]. It don't know how much power it uses but it's not much.

 

[Reducto]

I would recommend against using VGA if you can. I first used VGA with my monitor because it's the cable that came with it but I got noise on the display and the picture was fuzzy. I bought a $7 DVI cable and it made a world of difference! It's clear and noise-free even with my solar, fridge, and more running.

Note that you can get a cable with DVI on one end and HDMI on the other - they're part of the same spec.

 

[Txjaybird]

Thank you one and all for all the information.    Especially the pics...I can better grasp what new stuff [ new to me, the electronically  challenged} is when I have a pic to refer to.  I'm putting this info  in a file so I can refer to it in the future.  If I can remember how to retrieve it               Thank Ya'll,    Jewellann

p.s. what does VGA stand for?  I know HDMI is high definition something or other ?

 

[Reducto]

VGA is the old analog method for transmitting video, HDMI/DVI is the new digital method. They both work, but digital will get you a better picture.

 

[MikeRuth]

VGA will work fine if you use a good high quality cable. All to often they are supplied with less then good quality cables. I ran across this just the other day with a client setting up a new monitor. Replaced the cable and wha-la, a great looking screen.
Certainly DVI or HDMI would be the preferred method for connection today.

 

[rvpopeye]

Your laptop should play a DVD , I think you mentioned ububtu so it's now linux not windows.
VLC media player is software that comes loaded with all kinds of video codecs and there is a version for ubintu.

I just bought a small 7" Sylvania portable DVD player on clearance at Wally World for $39 ! It will power from 12 volts or 120 volts and has a lithium battery that will last a couple of hours or more depending on volume I usually charge it on 12 volts using my solar/battery setup..... (I bought this because my laptop battery is losing capacity and it needs to be plugged in to work for more than 20 mins or so ..gotta get one of those 12 volt adapter cables ) !

 

[SternWake]

My laptop is fairly old now, but when spinning and playing a DVD, it turns into a battery muncher sucking no less than 5.5 amps, and that is with a DC to DC 'car adapter'.  Powering it on an inverter it is  closer to 6.5 amps.


I have a 13.3 inch 12v TV/DVD that uses 0.9 to 1.1 amps on Tv, but 1.4 to 1.6 amps spinning a DVD, or it did, the DVD portion no longer works, last time I tried, but maybe it was the DVD itself.

http://www.amazon.com/SuperSonic-Wi...d=1463161093&sr=8-1&keywords=13.3+inch+tv/dvd

Seems there are a bunch of 13.3 inch 12v TVs with all sorts of different branding.  Mine is RCA, and at ~2.x years of age, one of the LED backlights is causing flickering in a v shaped pattern, sometimes.  not enough to really bother me into replacing it though.  It eventually stops flickering working normally, or with a darker V running up from the bottom midscreen.

perhaps I need to dissect it.  give me  an excuse to fire up a soldering iron.